A month before the massive salmonella outbreak in eggs was discovered, one Democratic politician was warning another Democrat of the inherent dangers of holding up the "Food Safety Enhancement Act," legislation which very well could have reduced the harm of such an outbreak.

A recall on eggs nationwide was announced after hundreds of people were sickened by salmonella that was found on the shells of the eggs. One benefit of the Food Safety Enhancement Act is that it will allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to order a mandatory recall of foods that are suspected to be tainted. Currently, such recalls are voluntary by those within the food and beverage industry.

But had the bill not been held up by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) since last summer, it's quite possible this outbreak could've been far less devastating. Feinstein claims to be a champion of safety and health because she has long advocated for a ban on bisphenol A (BPA), but the material is necessary for protecting us from food borne illnesses and has been proven to be safe by innumerable, independent scientific studies over the past 50 years.

Feinstein's amendment to the food safety bill to ban BPA has held up the bill in the Senate for more than a year and the risks of her actions were detailed in a July 19 letter from Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) to Feinstein in which Dingell wrote:

"Recent press accounts, including a July 11 Washington Post article titled Advocates Run Ads Urging Senate to Pass Food Safety Bill, indicate the cause for delayed consideration is your insistence on adding controversial language to the bill that would ban the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in food and beverage containers... It would be calamitous if a bill to protect American consumers from unsafe food cannot become law this year because of controversy over a single point."

Calamitous indeed. Not only would Feinstein's agenda expose us to the dangers of food borne illnesses such as botulism if BPA is banned, but her stubborn attempts to include anti-BPA language in the food safety bill has put millions of consumers at risk for too long.

Though she finally relented and the language was eventually removed, it was too late for those who were unnecessarily exposed to the salmonella outbreak in eggs. And Feinstein has stated that she will reintroduce an anti-BPA amendment once the bill is on the Senate floor. If Feinstein was truly concerned about consumer safety, she would put aside this nonsensical, calamitous agenda once and for all.

Feinstein may think that piggy backing on a wave of drummed up fear will help her in the polls. But as more people see through the junk science in her agenda, and realize that her actions have harmed, not helped, consumers, she may be facing a backlash, not only from the American people but from within her own party, which faces a tough uphill battle in the coming midterm elections.

Inspections of the egg producers would have prevented it. More qualified inspectors, and encouragement for smaller, competing egg producers is also desirable.
Giving more power to any Government agency is quite simply another step towards tyranny and Communism. This must be avoided, and in the case of the EPA reversed.
I would dearly like to see the EPA, Energy and Education Departments abolished ASAP!

Gershwin’s law is that bad money drives out good. Given a choice of paying with a dollar in gold, and a dollar in paper, people will keep the gold and pay in paper. The Government coerces people to accept paper rather than gold. (during the Civil War people accepted as little as 1/6th the price of an item if paid in gold, rather than government paper).

In like manner, government regulatory agencies drive out private regulatory functions. Rather than a counter part to Underwriter’s laboratory, the US food and drug regulation agencies do an incompetent job, drive out private parties which would properly supervise the production of food.

it will allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to order a mandatory recall of foods that are suspected to be tainted. Currently, such recalls are voluntary by those within the food and beverage industry.

More government authoritie! More cowbell! Am I to understand that a half-billion eggs were recalled due to bacteria on their shells? Bird poop? Illegal immigrant worker sanitation issues?

Besides Boxer, Feinstein is the biggest waste of space ever plopped in a senator's chair. She is the West Coast's Chuck Schumer- only stupider and not quite as pretty. Where was the FDA when this virus infected the mayor's office in San Francisco?

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